Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
GLOUCESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It's just about that time of year that visitors love ... locals not so much.
People who live in coastal areas are girding themselves for the annual onslaught of sun lovers attracted to the world-class beaches Massachusetts has to offer.
Up on the North Shore, Gloucester officials say they've made some improvements to its beach parking reservation app to help deal with the crowds and parking challenges.
One of the tweaks they made fixes a common complaint that the city wouldn't provide refunds after a reservation was canceled, such as due to bad weather.
But now, while refunds still aren't provided due to the complexity of that transaction, the new app can 'bank' a reservation for future use in the season.
Pam Tobey of the mayor's office said the new feature is a big improvement. "It's kind of an easy way for us to give them a bank day and have them come back another day."
She said the city switched its beach parking reservations system to an app-based platform two years ago.
And the improvements they continue to make on the app, including switching to a new vendor, are helping how the city and residents deal with the summer rush.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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